The Choices We Make
by alcanhanz
Summary: She wanted to stop the war but could she do it? He wanted to avenge his mother but could he do it? She never expected this to happen. He never wanted this to happen. She wanted to be with him but she has to make a choice. He wanted to be with her but he has to let her go. Can both of them survive all of this and find happiness together? Rated T because I'm being cautious.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: My first fanfic!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon or any of its characters. Anything similar to the events, people etc. to this is entirely coincidental.**

* * *

"_Hikari!"_

_The young brunette of age 16 turned to see who called out to her. She instantly opened her eyes. 'Where am I?" she examined the area but found it hard to do since it was so dark._

"_Hikari!"_

"_Who's there?" she called out to the unknown voice as chills run down her spine. She was startled by the sound of her name. She wasn't alone in the dark._

"_Hikari! Come to us…" another voice called out to her. It was getting louder and louder "Come Hikari!" she covered her ears as she shivered._

"_Who are you?" she shouted._

"_Hikari" another voice was calling out to her "Be with us"_

"_No!" she closed her eyes 'My mind is just playing tricks with me' she convinced herself that it was all made up in her mind. 'Come on Hikari, pull yourself together' she chanted in her head._

"_Hikari!"_

"_Come with us"_

"_Be with us"_

"Stop it!" she woke up in the middle of the night gasping and sweating "What was that just now?" she put her arms around her '_I'm imagining things'_ she smiled but the thought of the voices that called out to her made her nervous.

* * *

"Hikari…" an older brunette approached the younger brunette "It's time" he said.

"Brother, do we really need to engage in a war?" she said her tone obviously worried "I think there is a better way to solve this little misunderstanding"

"There is no other way Hikari" her brother said bluntly "They crossed the line this time and now they are going to face the wrath of our kingdom" he clenches his fists.

"Brother I…" she started but then her brother glared at her "Nevermind" she looked away. Her brother notices her tired expression. He wanted to ask her but other things were more important to him right now so he pushed that thought aside.

"We will be waiting for you" he turned and left the room.

Hikari was left all alone in her room. She thought deeply about the whole situation. She wanted to stop the war but all she can do is follow the orders of her parents and her older brother. Even though she was of royal blood, she couldn't do anything. The Kingdom of Earth and the Kingdom of Sky should settle this misunderstanding in a peaceful way. She sighed, her head hurts from all the possible solutions she could think of. She then remembered the voices she heard. She tried contemplating about the voices and what they were trying to tell her. She gave up after a while because her thoughts were getting her nowhere. She sighed again '_my brain is about to explode_' she thought while massaging her temples. She took one more look outside and then turned on her heels and left the room. In the throne room, the royal family gathered. On the throne were King Susumu and his wife, Queen Yuuko.

"Hikari!" the queen called out to her daughter when she came in. All the captains were silent when the princess entered the room but returned to discussing battle plans when the king nodded to them.

"Mother" she smiled weakly.

"Hikari, what took you so long?" her father stood up from his chair and walked over to his daughter "We will leave soon"

"Father" the older brunette arrived with the trusted adviser. The captains who were in the room stopped discussing battle plans and turned their attention to the prince. "The troupe is ready to attack" he declared.

"Taichi" he faced his son and smiled "Lead us to victory" Taichi placed his right hand to his chest and bowed "Go now! Prepare for battle!" he ordered the captains to follow whatever his son says. After the prince and the captains left the room, the king looked at his wife who only frowned "Yuuko…I-"

"There is nothing we can do" she cut him off. She abruptly stood up and walked away. Hikari looked at her father and followed her mother out of the room.

* * *

At the Kingdom of Earth, their army was also ready to attack and in the castle, the king and all the nobles gathered to finalize the plan.

"I think we should let them attack first and to let them think they are winning but we will send our strongest army to attack their kingdom" one noble suggested.

"That would work" the adviser commented on the idea and turned to the king "Your majesty I think this plan could lead us to victory"

"Carry on with the plan" the king stood up from his chair "Make sure this plan won't fail" then he left.

The meeting was over when the king left. The king went to his chambers and notices that his sons were there waiting for him.

"Father" the older blonde said.

"Yamato" He looked at his older son then to his other son "Takeru, are you ready son?" he smiled.

"I am always ready" he said not even showing any emotions.

"Your mother…" he started "She was a wonderful woman" he smiled although there was a glimpse of sadness in his eyes "The troupe is preparing for battle, both of you should also prepare for what may come" he said each giving them a sword.

"Father, we must leave now" Yamato clench his sword. His father nodded in agreement and left the room with his two sons.

* * *

In the Kingdom of Air, the royal family except the prince was waiting for the carriage to be ready. As they waited, Hikari saw this as an opportunity to convince her mother to stop the war.

"Mother, don't you think this is all wrong?"

"I know what you want to tell me Hikari but I don't think we can convince your father to change his mind" her mother answered her without hesitation.

"But you can do it" Hikari pleaded "Right?"

"No, I can't" her mother boarded the carriage and said nothing else. Hikari too boarded the carriage. They left as soon as the king got on board.

* * *

In the Kingdom of Earth, the army was waiting for the attack of the enemy. Then flocks of flying horses were spotted and then the war started. Houses were burning and the clashing of metal could be heard. While the army fought the troupe from the Kingdom of Air led by Prince Taichi, the other army already left for the said kingdom. They arrived at the kingdom without any detection then led by the two princes they attacked the kingdom. They burned the houses and killed the people living there.

"Takeru, gather some men then attack the main castle" Yamato gestured to the other men to stop anyone from reaching the castle "I will take it from here" Takeru did what his brother told him and left for the castle along with some soldiers.

The royal family arrived at the main castle when a soldier came running towards them. He knelt on one knee and looked at the king with a worried expression written all over his face.

"Your majesty, the enemy is about to attack the castle" he reported "They are currently attacking the villages in the south and are coming here fast"

"What!" King Susumu gritted his teeth upon hearing the report.

"Most of the army is fighting in the war in the Kingdom of Earth and only little remains to protect our kingdom" the soldier continued.

"Call the other troupes" he ordered "Protect the kingdom!" the soldier saluted at his command.

The royal family hurried to the castle. The king doubled the security and ordered archers to protect the main entrance of the gate. The defense did not stop the approaching enemy from entering and soon they arrived at the castle.

"Capture everyone!" Takeru ordered the men. The men scattered and soon screaming were heard from inside the castle.

In the chambers of the queen, voices crying for help could be heard from outside. Hikari shivered with fear while the queen hugged her tightly and caress her hair to calm her down. Then the door burst open and a young maid with blonde hair entered.

"Your highness, we are surrounded by the enemy" she said gasping for air. She must have been running to escape the enemy "The king is in a safe place now"

"Mother, I'm afraid" Hikari looked at her mother.

"Please, can you take Hikari to a safe place?" Queen Yuuko begged the blonde haired girl "Don't let anything happen to her, Catherine" then they heard footsteps in the hall. She urged the two of them to run and leave her. Catherine grabbed Hikari's hand but Hikari tried to resist. Then her mother smiled at her and gave Hikari her necklace "Take care of yourself" Catherine was then able to drag her away.

The scream of the queen was heard in the hallway. Tears fell from the eyes of Hikari when she heard the scream of her mother. They picked up their pace but the enemy was catching up to them. Catherine pulled to one corner and opened the door to a secret room.

"I'm sorry your highness" she pushed Hikari to the room and closed the door.

"Wait, Catherine!" she called out to her but then she heard the scream of the blonde maid. She gasped and covered her mouth as she stepped back "Catherine…" she tried to hold back her tears as she heard voices outside.

"Your highness" she tried to stay quiet to hear what they were saying "We have killed the queen but unfortunately we didn't find the king and their daughter"

"Then go look for them!" another voice shouted at them.

"Yes, sire" then they left.

Takeru looked at the blonde haired girl and then the area. After observing, he was about to leave when he heard soft sobs. He turned around and listened intently to the voice. It was coming from the wall. He touched the wall and felt a frame of a door.

Hikari was struggling not to cry when she heard the men confirmed that her mother is now dead. She can't hold it anymore, her tears fell from her eyes and she bit her lip to hold it in but to no avail.

Takeru tried to open the door. He looked for a doorknob but found none. Then he felt something soft in the wall then pushed it then the door automatically opened.

Hikari listened to the noises outside the door and was now engulfed in fear. She stepped back and tripped over the bed. She looked up as the door opened to reveal a young blonde boy.

Takeru looked at the frightened girl in the bed. She was very beautiful in her white cocktail dress. He entered the room as Hikari bolted out to the topmost part of the bed.

"Well…" he grinned deviously "What do we have here?" he said while slowly approaching the terrified girl.

"P-Please…" Hikari clenched her mother's necklace "Don't kill me" then she fainted.

* * *

**Phew~ so what do you guys think?**

**I'm sorry if I have wrong grammar or spelling mistakes. I'm still kinda new to this...so please forgive me~**

**I will update this soon or whenever I can.**

**Hope you like it and please review if you want.**

**I want to hear your thoughts about this story but please be nice to me *insert puppy dog eyes***

******Thank you for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon or any of its characters. Anything similar to the events, people etc. to this is entirely coincidental.**

* * *

Hikari gained consciousness and looked around the room. She was still alive and thought everything was a dream. Then she snapped back to reality when she saw the blonde boy sitting in the chair on the right side of the bed holding her mother's necklace. He seemed to be examining it. She then looked back at the necklace and gulped nervously.

"You're the princess huh?" Hikari turned her attention to the boy again "Now tell me, where is the king?" his eyes is still fixed on the object on his hand. She instantly moved to take back her mother's necklace but was spun around and greeted by a sharp steel sword in the neck "Now princess, I was asking you a question" he tightened his grip around her waist.

"I…I don't know" she stuttered. The grip of the blonde boy around her waist was tight and she can barely breathe with a sword in her throat.

"You don't know?" he mocked her then pushed her to the bed and pointed the sword at her "You don't want to get killed right?" he glared at her.

"Mother" she murmured trying to hold her tears.

"What?" he moved closer to her. Their faces are inches apart.

"Who are you?" she pushed him back and tried to stand firm as she could. Takeru smirked at her question.

"Feisty" he commented while putting his sword back in its sheath "I am Prince Takeru Takaishi of the Kingdom of Earth" Hikari saw this as an opportunity to escape as the door was open. She ran to the door but was stopped by two soldiers "Put your swords down!" Takeru ordered.

The soldiers did what they were told and walked out of the room but was still guarding the door. Hikari grunted at her situation. She turned to look at the prince with a composed face.

"You can't escape that easily" he returned to his seat and gazed at the girl "It's rude not to introduce yourself" he crossed his arms over his chest "but there can be other ways to know your name" he smiled at her but this gave her chills, the kind of feeling that you don't want to mess with this person.

"I am Hikari Kamiya" she curtsied to the prince. She kept a straight face the whole time.

"That's better" Takeru stood up and walked towards her "Then princess shall we go?" he grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the room and into the hallway. Takeru ordered his men to find other people in the castle and they left after receiving orders.

"Where are you taking me?" Hikari glared at him. She was trying to catch up to his fast pace.

"You are my hostage" he replied bluntly. She tried to wiggle out of his tight grip on her but then was pulled closer to him "Now princess, I am sparing your life but if you get on my nerves, you know what will happen right?" she nodded afraid of what may happen to her if she didn't and he let go of her "Now don't do anything stupid and follow me" he was about to run but stopped and looked at her sternly "Don't try to run away" he added and received another nod from the princess. She hesitantly followed him but guessing she doesn't have any other choice, she just did what she was told to do until they were outside of the castle.

Hikari was relieved to see that the Kingdom of Air was fighting back the enemies. She looked at Takeru who was also looking at the sky with a grim look on his face.

"Looks like the tables have turned" she said in a confident tone.

"Don't be too sure princess" he placed his hands on his hips as he looked at the princess with a confident grin upon his face "You are still my hostage remember?" he grabbed her hand and dragged her to the back of the castle and into the forest. He picks up his pace and frequently looks back at Hikari who was trying to keep up with him. Takeru stopped to survey the area. Hikari also stopped but was panting from all that running.

"All clear" Takeru said to himself. He grabbed her hand again and they started running "Move faster!" he commanded sounding serious as he looked at her.

"I can't keep up with you" she said gasping for air.

"Then try to keep up" he dragged her again further into the forest until they reached a carriage with flying horses in the middle of the forest. The coachman was ready to leave anytime. An old man was waiting beside the carriage "Gennai!" Takeru called out to the old man.

"Your highness" the old man was about to cry seeing the prince "I'm glad you're safe" he was about to give the prince a hug but Takeru dodged immediately.

"Nice to see you well too, Gennai" he smiled "Where is Yamato?" he asked looking around to see if his brother is in the area.

"He is currently leading the attack in the northern part of the kingdom" Gennai answered "He said that you should return to the kingdom to aid your father"

"I see…" he turned to Hikari who looked troubled upon hearing the reply of the old man. Gennai followed his gaze to the young girl and grinned mischievously at her but she didn't notice this.

'_Northern part of the kingdom'_ Hikari closed her eyes for a moment thinking of the place the old man mentioned that was currently being attacked '_Isn't that the place where orphans live?'_ she clenched her fists as she imagined the cries of the children asking for help.

"What's the matter, princess?" She snapped back to reality and looked at the prince. She shook her head and put her hands around her "Nothing" she averted her eyes when she replied.

"You captured the princess?" Takeru turned his attention to Gennai. He looked like he couldn't believe that the princess of the Kingdom of Air has been captured. Before Takeru could say anything to him, Gennai instantly hugged Hikari tightly.

"What are you doing?" she slapped him hard and he fell to the ground "Get away from me!" Takeru sweatdropped at Gennai's pathetic move on the princess. He then looked up at the sky only to see danger fast approaching them. The battlefield has moved to where they were located.

"Get in!" Takeru grabbed Hikari's hand and helped her board the carriage and he also got in "Gennai, hurry up!" he called out to the old man who hurriedly went inside the carriage "Go now!" Takeru ordered the coachman and soon they were off.

"That was a close one" Gennai sighed "Good thing you saw those soldiers, your highness" Takeru didn't say a word and just closed his eyes. He placed his right leg on top of his other leg and crossed his arms over his chest.

Silence fell in the carriage and Hikari didn't mind it at all except for the creepy stare Gennai is giving her. She was disgusted by how he looked at her. She looked away but still could feel the old geezer staring at her.

"Princess, mind if you stay with me tonight?" he sat next to her trying to flirt with her. She pushed him back "Princess, you're so cute when you're angry" Hikari tried to ignore him the best she could but was completely irritated when he tried to touch her face. She purposely stepped on his foot as Gennai yelp in pain.

"Could you tell this old man to stay away from me?" she looked at Takeru who seems to enjoy the whole situation.

"I think you two look cute together" he teased. The old man smiled sheepishly at his comment despite the pain in his foot.

"Do you really think so, your highness?" the old man looked at Takeru with a hopeful face.

"You can have her Gennai" Takeru looked away and stared at the sky.

"What!" Hikari obviously annoyed leaned at Takeru. He only winked at her that made her blush but Gennai suddenly pulled her back and tried to put an arm around her shoulders but only received a strong punch in the face. Takeru only laughed at the situation while staring at the girl with a playful look on his face.

The old man named Gennai continued to "flirt" with Hikari. She just ignored him until there was a loud explosion at the front of the carriage. The carriage was hit by a cannon! The impact was too sudden that Hikari almost fell off of the carriage. Takeru helped her up and she instantly clutched unto his collar and buried her face in his chest. Takeru was surprised at her sudden reaction but he did not make a move to get her off of him. Another explosion made another impact on the carriage but this time at the back. They looked at the flames with horrified faces. Takeru grabbed the frightened girl's hands and gently took them off of him. He then pushed Gennai out of the carriage.

"Why did you do that?" Hikari asked and only received a mischievous grin from the boy. Takeru held out his hand to her but she is hesitating to take it or not "What are you trying to do?"

"You'll see" Hikari despite knowing that Takeru has some plan whether it will work or not nonetheless placed her hand on his and together they jumped off of the flaming carriage. He pulled her closer to him and held her tightly by the waist. She blushed but it instantly disappeared when she remembered they were going to crash anytime soon.

"You're really crazy!" she panicked as she holds on to his neck tightly.

"Nope" he sounded confident "Gennai, transform now!" he called out to the old man.

Gennai transformed into a winged creature and both Takeru and Hikari landed on his back. Takeru gently let her go and she plopped down into the creature's back sighing. Takeru immediately made his way to the head of Gennai. Hikari felt the hot wind in her face and she looked at the bottom to see burning houses and soldiers fighting. She frowned at the sight of the kingdom. She then pulled her legs closer to her chest and hid her face. Takeru looked at her but didn't say anything and then looked away.

"Gennai, let's go to the Kingdom of Ice" he commanded. Gennai nodded and swiftly turned around to the direction of the said kingdom.

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry that I made Gennai a perverted old man but don't worry he will have a much better role in the later chapters... ****please forgive me~**

**I'm sorry if I have wrong grammar or spelling mistakes.**

**Hope you like it and please review if you want.**

******Thank you for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So I'm kinda confused in my head right now.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon or any of its characters. Anything similar to the events, people etc. to this is entirely coincidental.**

* * *

Night fell and they still haven't reached their destination yet. Hikari stood up and stretched her arms and legs. She felt stiff from all that sitting. She looked at the moon and smirked.

"What's so funny, princess?" Takeru stood right beside her and admired the moon as well.

"It doesn't concern you" she looked away.

"Then you won't care about this right?" he was about to throw the necklace away.

"Wait! Stop!" she tugged at his shirt. Takeru grinned at her reaction.

"Well princess, I didn't know you like me this much" he teased.

"What are you saying?" she blushed as she let go of her hold on his shirt.

"Are you blushing?" his face was close to hers and he grinned at the sight of the girl.

"I am not interested in my Kingdom's enemy" she pouted as she looked away.

Before Takeru could retort to her, Gennai announced that they have arrived at the Kingdom of Ice.

They landed smoothly and Gennai returned to his original form. Hikari looked around and spotted the castle made of ice. It sparkled in the sun. Takeru was already in the entrance of the kingdom. Hikari quickly caught up to him. They were greeted by the guards. The guards announced their arrival to the king and the king immediately sent his servants to escort them. The maids that went with the escorts gave them warm clothes to wear.

The whole kingdom was made of pure ice. Well, from the name itself Kingdom of Ice so naturally it would be made of ice. The sun was shining brightly but the ice didn't melt. The streets were decorated with various kinds of sculpture and again it was made of ice.

"Ice melts right?" she asked to no one in particular.

"Yes, it does" Gennai answered her.

"Then why is this whole kingdom still standing?" she is more curious now.

"I think it's because the ice is special" he paused for a bit then talked again "A long time ago there was once a flourishing land full of green pastures and fruits. An enemy kingdom destroyed everything and left nothing that could remind the world of the once flourishing land or so they thought. The princess who survived the attack left to the neighboring kingdom, the same kingdom that destroyed her land. She changed her identity in order to enter the palace as a maid. The prince of that kingdom fell in love with her and wanted to marry her. She didn't love him in return and would only want revenge. On the day of the marriage, as the princess walked down the aisle, she left a path of ice. They wondered what was happening to her. She revealed she was the princess of the kingdom they destroyed. She killed the people one by one. The last person she was going to kill was the prince. She was about to kill him but suddenly held back and disappeared, never to be seen again" Gennai paused for a bit "Legend says this was the kingdom the princess destroyed"

"That's an interesting story" Hikari looked at him.

"Indeed it is" Gennai agreed with her.

"What happened next, Gennai?" the two of them looked at Takeru. They didn't notice that he was also listening to the story.

"The story ends there, your highness" Hikari frowned at what she heard. She also wanted to know what happens next.

As they neared the castle, the temperature felt warm for some reason. They walked from hallway to hallway until they reached the throne room where a blue haired man about 20 sat on the throne. He must be the king, Hikari thought for she hasn't met the king in the Kingdom of Ice.

"Takeru, good to see you" the king greeted the prince with a tight hug.

"It's been a long time, Jyou" Takeru returned the hug of the king.

"I thought you were at war with the Kingdom of Air?" Jyou asked him.

"I was but then I found the princess" he started "The king had fled and now I am taking her as hostage to bring the king out" Jyou looked at Hikari.

"Well, she is quite a beauty, don't you think so Takeru?" Jyou commented and Hikari blushed "Princesses should be treated properly even though she is a hostage" he gestured to the maids "Have her ready for dinner" he commanded and then the maids gestured for Hikari to come with them. Takeru just stared at the girl leaving until she was out of sight.

"You're really kind Jyou" Takeru said "And that's the reason why you didn't get the woman you love right now" he said bluntly.

"I am happy if she is happy" he smiled warmly at him "But on the other hand I am worried about you"

"What does that mean?" Takeru raised his eyebrow in confusion.

"If I were you, I'd be careful not to fall in love with the enemy" he grinned and turned to walk away leaving Takeru thinking on what he just said.

"Love huh?" Takeru smirked at the idea "Rubbish"

In the dining hall, the king waited for his guests. Takeru arrived first and took his seat next to the king. Then a moment later, Hikari arrived wearing a yellow dress with a shoal around her shoulders.

"Beautiful" Jyou gestured for her to sit next to him opposite to Takeru. Hikari looked at Takeru who was looking away "Let's eat" at the sound of the king's voice the servants carried trays of food and placed them one by one in the table. After dinner, they all went to sleep in their respective rooms. The king's chamber was on the right side of the hallway while Takeru's and Hikari's were on the left side. They said their goodnights and headed to their rooms. Takeru and Hikari walked together to their side of the hallway. Silence fell between the two and neither one looked at each other. Hikari glanced at him but quickly looked away. Takeru also took a glance at her noticing that Hikari has something to say to him as it was painted on her face.

"Say it" he stops in his tracks.

"What?" she halted as well.

"What do you want to say to me?" he looked at her in the eyes. Hikari lowered her head and looked at her hands.

"Why did you bring me here?" she asked nervous. Takeru didn't answer her question right away so she raised her head to look at him but he was still staring at her "What's the purpose?" she added.

Takeru still didn't answer her question instead he moved closer to her, knelt down and took her hand. He kissed the back of her hand and stood up once more and walked away. Hikari was confused at his sudden actions. She turned to look at him and notice something about him. She thought that he was in some kind of pain. She then recalled what happened and blushed as she stared at her hand. The next day; Jyou was looking out the window of the castle until Takeru interrupted him.

"The princess is nowhere to be found" he started but then was interrupted when Jyou put his finger in his mouth signaling him to be quiet. He pointed out the window and Takeru looked at what he is pointing at. There he saw Hikari sitting on the edge of the fountain in the garden of the castle. She was holding a rose and was deep in thought but was smiling.

"Would you like to know what she is thinking right now?" Jyou asked innocently.

"You really like to tease me, don't you?" Takeru turned and walked away as the Kingdom of Ice ruler continued to watch the princess.

"This would be interesting" he giggled at the thought of the two together.

In the garden, Hikari was holding the rose all the while holding back her tears. She touched her neck and felt nothing there. The necklace that her mother gave her was in the hands of the person who captured her and dragged her here.

"Princess!" she looked up to see Takeru coming her way "I thought you were able to escape from me"

"If I did you would capture me again" she put down the rose and sighed "There's no point in leaving" she grimaced at her current situation.

"It's good to know the situation you're in right now" he took the rose and smelled it "Tell me what's in your mind?" he said still sniffing the rose.

"Nothing" Hikari stood up and was about to leave when Takeru stopped her "I said it's nothing" she broke free from his grip and ran towards the castle. Takeru just smiled '_cute_' and then frowned.

* * *

**I'm sorry if I have wrong grammar or spelling mistakes.**

**I will update this soon or whenever I can.**

**Hope you like it and please review if you want.**

******Thank you for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: So this was done fast and I have notice that the chapters are getting shorter and shorter. I'll have to fix that but in the meantime Chapter 4!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon or any of its characters. Anything similar to the events, people etc. to this is entirely coincidental.**

* * *

Hikari was really frustrated knowing she can't leave. She crossed her arms over her chest as she thought of a way to get out of here and to take the necklace as well. She didn't notice where she was going until she bumped into someone when she turned to a corner. She fell back with a loud thud.

"Oh my…" the voice sounded familiar "I'm sorry" She looked up to see the smiling face of Jyou holding a hand out to her and she took it. Jyou pulled her up and she thanked him while fixing her skirt.

"No... It was my fault I wasn't looking as to where I was going" she lowered her head "I'm sorry for bumping into you like that"

"No need to say sorry" he said raising his hands in front of him "I wasn't looking as well so I'm sorry for the collision" he also apologized.

"Oh no" she in return raised her hands in front of her "No need to apologize" they both laughed. When they both stopped laughing Hikari smiled weakly. Jyou noticed this and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Is something wrong, Hikari?" he asked worried for the girl.

"N-Nothing's wrong" she stammered then looked away.

"I would love to help you but unless you will not tell me what's wrong I can't do anything" he placed his hands on his hips and sighed. '_She acts a lot like her…_'

"Jyou…" Hikari started "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure" Jyou answered happily "You can ask me anything"

"Why is he like that?"

"Who is like that?" he looked at the girl. She was now blushing faint pink "Oh you mean Take-" Hikari covered his mouth with her hand. Jyou was stunned.

"Keep quiet" she blushed more "I don't want you to mention his name" Jyou nodded and she let go of her hand.

"Well…" he started regaining his composure "What's the matter?"

"He…well…" she paused for a moment trying to think of a good way to explain things to him "I was shocked by his sudden reaction when I asked him why he brought me here and I saw his pained expression on his face. It kind of bothered me a bit" she looked at the floor waiting for an answer.

"I see…" Jyou pondered for a bit before answering her "I guess he didn't move on…" he stopped noticing a familiar figure coming their way "Takeru!" Hikari turned around to meet the approaching figure.

"What are you talking about?" he asked Jyou. The king looked at Hikari who is also looking at him motioning him to not say anything about their conversation.

"We were just admiring the…the…" Jyou looked around to see what he can use as an excuse but Hikari saved him.

"Carpet!" Hikari mentally slapped herself. _'Of all the things in the castle, you have to say carpet. Would he believe that?_'

"R-Right" he gave them both a confused look but then shrugged "Anyways we are leaving tonight"

"You're leaving already?" Jyou frowned at the thought of his friends leaving.

"I'm sorry but we have to reach the kingdom as soon as possible" his gaze fell to Hikari who is also looking at him annoyed and then looked at Jyou again "I think I interrupted your talk about the '**CARPET**' he emphasized the last word "I better get out of the way then" he then walked away.

"I think you should follow him and start preparing for the journey" the blue haired king patted the girl's head. She pouted at his words. She wanted to know the reason for Takeru's actions but Jyou was right. She bowed to the king before walking away to catch up with the blonde. Jyou just smiled again at the thought of the two together "Maybe she can help him" he said to no one in particular.

That night, Gennai again turned into the winged creature. They were about to set off to the Kingdom of Earth when Jyou approached them. Jyou tried to convince them to stay until the war is over but Takeru rejected his offer.

"I need to return to aid my kingdom in battle" he then climbed aboard and soon they were off.

"Don't you think this is all wrong?" Hikari asked all of a sudden.

"What's wrong?" Takeru sat next to her.

"This war between our kingdoms"

"It is the decision of the two kings to engage in a battle where only one kingdom shall emerge victorious" he said nonchalantly.

"This is just a little misunderstanding" she bit her lip remembering the houses burning and the people running for their lives.

"I see" Takeru looked at her but she lowered her head "Your just like my mother. You don't want to see people fighting and dying. You believe in peace and unity" he placed his hand on her chin and raised her face to meet his gaze "There is no such thing in this world" then he gently let go.

"Now I know why you're in pain" she mumbled to herself but Takeru heard her.

"What?" he cocked his eyebrow.

"You have never been loved" she said bluntly.

"What did you say?" his tone changed and he stood up.

"You mentioned your mother" she continued "That means you longed for her right?" Hikari also stood up and moved a few paces backwards, noticing the angry stare from Takeru "She abandoned you, didn't she?" she hissed "That's why you don't care at all for your people right?" she added.

"Stop it…" he said in a low voice.

"Are you saying I'm wrong?" Takeru was in the brink of exploding "What do you have to say now, prince?" she asked him her voice getting louder and louder "Don't you think-"

"I said stop!" Takeru shouted and Hikari stopped "You should have escaped while we were at the Kingdom of Ice" he grinned menacingly "Now I'm angry" he glared at her and unsheathed his sword. He walked towards her but Hikari stayed compose. He pointed the sword to her face "If you want to be saved then apologize to me"

"Kill me" she said confidently "I don't want to live in this world anymore" then Takeru draw the sword back and Hikari closed her eyes but never felt the impact of the sword. She slowly opened her eyes and saw tears in Takeru's blue orbs.

"Mother" he mumbled to himself but Hikari heard him.

"Your majesty!" Gennai leaned back to see what was happening and because of this Takeru lost his balance and was about to fall but Hikari grabbed his hand. She tried to pull him up but also lost her balance when Gennai tried to help them. They fell to the deep waters below. Everything was happening too fast. The waves pushed them back and forth. Hikari gasped for air. She was about to drown but Takeru pulled her close to him.

"Hang on" he said and Hikari held tightly to him.

Everything went black for Hikari.

* * *

**I'm sorry if I have wrong grammar or spelling mistakes.**

**I will update this soon or whenever I can.**

**Hope you like it and please review if you want.**

******Thank you for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Jyou was introduced in the last chapter and now it's time for another character to appear. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon or any of its characters. Anything similar to the events, people etc. to this is entirely coincidental.**

* * *

Hikari felt dizzy when she opened her eyes. Blinking once then twice to convince herself she wasn't dead. She was shocked to see a beautiful castle made of corals. She looked around and saw Takeru still lying unconscious on the ground. She instantly went to him and shook him. She felt relieved when he groaned softly indicating he was still alive. He slowly opened his eyes and saw Hikari who looked worriedly at him.

"Am I dead?" he asked sitting up.

"No" she thwacked his head with her hand "If you were you wouldn't have woken up" she teased.

"Very funny" he said sarcastically as he shakily stood up while Hikari laughed at his reaction.

"I'm sorry…" her tone changed all of a sudden "for what I said…" she continued as she stared at the floor trying to avoid eye contact. Takeru looked away and didn't say a word "I shouldn't have said that to you" she stood up too and turned to the prince who was still looking away "Please forgive me..." she lowered her head. Takeru glanced at her and could see she was shivering.

"Its fine" he sighed and turned to face the girl "You're shivering" he said worriedly.

"Huh?" Hikari put her arms around her. She was really shivering because it was cold. Her clothes as well as Takeru's were dripping wet. Well, of course they almost drowned in the middle of the ocean.

"Let's ask someone from that castle over there" he pointed to the castle Hikari saw earlier and she just nodded in agreement.

But before they could step onto the wide stairs, the door opened to reveal a beautiful woman with wavy light brown hair and caramel eyes. She looked elegant in her sleeveless green dress decorated with flowers in the waistline. She climbed down the stairs and looked at the two.

"Well, what do we have here?" she said in a cheerful voice "You must have been very careless when you made love on the shore line" she teased.

"**WHAT?**" they said in unison shocked at the sudden assumption. They looked at each other and instantly looked away blushing.

"I'm just kidding" she said still giggling "May I know your names?"

"I am Takeru Takaishi, Prince of the Kingdom of Earth" Takeru placed his hand on his stomach and bowed to her.

"I am Princess Hikari Kamiya of the Kingdom of Air" Hikari curtsied smiling.

"Well, both from royal families" she examined the two of them "Are you sure you're not lovers?" she covered half of her face with her fan hiding her amusement.

"**WE ARE NOT LOVERS**!" they said again in unison and their faces were now tainted with a rather darker shade of red.

"You know our names" Takeru crossed his arms over his chest "So may we know yours?" he gave her a suspicious look.

"Oh I'm sorry for being rude" the woman folded her fan "I am Mimi Tachikawa and you're in the Kingdom of Water" she smiled "Please come in" she gestured for both of them to enter the palace.

They both entered the palace in awe. It was very beautiful. The walls were decorated with sea shells of various kinds and flowers of different variety. The walls were made of corals and the thing they find confusing was that water can't penetrate the inside of the castle. Some kind of glass prevented it from entering. They made their way to a huge room. Mimi sat in the throne and smiled at them.

"Welcome to our kingdom" she spread out her arms "You may stay as long as you want"

"Thank you, your majesty" Hikari smiled '_this woman is very kind. I like it here._'

"I am inviting you to dinner tonight" she said. Takeru and Hikari were each escorted to their respective rooms.

At the dinner table, the queen waited for her guests. The first to arrive was Takeru who wore a long sleeve white collared shirt and black pants. His hair was pulled back and he looked rather dashing. Hikari then arrive wearing a cute white halter dress with laces on the hem of the skirt. Her hair was tied into a messy ponytail with side bangs that framed her face.

"Oh my, you two look marvelous" she then placed a gold clip to keep Hikari's bangs away from her face "That's my gift to you" then she ordered her servant to bring a golden sword to Takeru "And that's for you since yours was lost"

"Thank you" Hikari bowed to her and smiled. She then took a quick glance at Takeru _'He looks quite handsome tonight wait, what am I saying?' _she sighed. Mimi noticed this and giggled at the sight of the blushing girl.

"How did you know I lost my sword?" Takeru turned to the servant holding the golden sword.

"I know what happens in these vast waters" Mimi stated then she turned her attention to Hikari.

He took the sword still in its sheath and drew it. The sword's handle was made of gold but the blade was different. _'This sword is light as a feather, easy to control and very sharp' _he thought while swaying it from side to side _'I wonder what material was used for the blade' _he examined the blade but eventually gave up. He didn't have a clue what the sword was made of.

"Don't worry about the blade, Takeru" Mimi interrupted him "It's made of a special material that cuts through anything and doesn't break so easily like other swords" she stated.

"Is that so?" he put the sword back in its sheath "Thank you for the gift" he bowed.

Mimi resumed her conversation with Hikari. Takeru's gaze went from the queen to Hikari who was busy talking with Mimi that she didn't notice him looking at her. _'She looks beautiful tonight' _he smiled _'Jyou was right'_ he sighed.

Mimi noticed Takeru smiling when she caught him looking at Hikari. She laughed and Hikari gave her a confused look.

"It's nothing, I just recalled a joke I heard earlier" Mimi then snapped her fingers and more servants entered the dining hall with trays of different kinds of seafood in their hands.

After dinner they talked for a bit. They asked the queen about the kingdom's existence since they didn't know that such a kingdom exists underwater.

"You see, our ancestors chose to hide here" Mimi started "Our kingdom didn't make any connections with other kingdoms for many years although I have made a visit to one kingdom when I was still a child" she then recalled her visit "I was just 5 years old back then when my father took me to this one kingdom. I vaguely remember the place so I can't really describe it. I also remember this boy I met there. He was very nice to me and played with me while my father was on a meeting about important matters. When I try to recall his face, it's all a blur to me" she became silent and both Takeru and Hikari exchanged glances.

"I know a lot of the other kingdoms" Hikari stated "I can describe some to you if you want…" she paused for a bit before continuing "maybe you can remember something about the kingdom you visited a long time ago"

"I appreciate it" Mimi placed her hand on top of Hikari's and just shook her head "but there is no need for that" she then turned to Takeru.

"What is it?" he asked noticing the woman's stare.

"I still think that both of you are lovers running away together" she giggled and both Takeru and Hikari sighed exhaustingly. If they argued with her, she will just tease them more. They just ignored her questions about being lovers for as long as they can handle but then Mimi just crossed the line with her last question:

"Did the two of you do _it_ already?" she asked innocently.

"**NO!**" they both shouted in unison. Their cheeks tinted with the color red.

"Oh my…" Mimi placed her hand on her cheek "I thought you did _it_ already considering-"

"**NEVER!**" they both cut her off and were blushing furiously now.

"Alright, Alright" Mimi calmed the both of them down "Both of you must be exhausted so I won't ask anymore questions" she smiled "Tomorrow you will be escorted by the guards to the shore"

"You're too kind your highness" Hikari smiled but she was still blushing.

"Probably too kind" Takeru was suspicious. His embarrassment before was gone now.

"Takeru" Hikari scolded him "I'm sorry your highness"

"No, it's ok" Mimi smiled at Hikari and looked at Takeru "You see we rarely have visitors here and we are naturally good people I assure you that. I just want to help that's all" she then stood up and walked towards the door but glanced back at them one more time before leaving. They soon left the dining room too.

"Why would you say that?" Hikari glared at him.

"I'm just being cautious, alright?" he retorted and Hikari just sighed.

That night, Hikari could not sleep at all. She thought about what is happening to her kingdom right now and if her father and brother were both safe. She was restless and decided to walk around the castle for a bit. She looked out the window to see a variety of sea creatures.

"Hikari?" she turned to face the person who called her. The moon shone its light on the approaching figure and it was the queen.

"Your highness…" Hikari said.

"What's wrong?" Mimi asked worried.

"It's nothing" Hikari looked away.

"I know it's something" Mimi said in a gentle voice "It's good to share to other people about what's bothering you"

"Well…" Hikari hesitated for a moment "Well, Takeru and I are-"

"I knew it!" Mimi clasped the hands of Hikari and giggled. "You are lovers and you had a fight right?" Mimi squealed.

"No your highness, we are not even friends" Hikari said exasperatedly '_Why does she keep saying we're lovers?_' "Our kingdoms are in a war with each other and many people have suffered because of that" her tone became serious.

"I see" Mimi frowned sensing the mood of her guest "It will be over soon" she reassured her.

"I don't get why there have to be wars between kingdoms" Hikari didn't notice her tears falling.

"It's alright…" Mimi wiped the tears from Hikari's eyes with the back of her hand "You know I have thought about something while I was listening to your stories at dinner" Mimi grinned "I will come with you to the surface"

"What?" Hikari was shocked "What about the kingdom?"

"I am doing this for my kingdom and for my people" Mimi looked out the window "I think it's time to move up to the surface and meet with other kingdoms"

"Are you sure about this your highness?" Hikari asked still worried.

"Actually I will decide on that when I come with you" Mimi looked at Hikari "I want to experience life in the surface and then decide whether or not it is alright for my people to live with the other kingdoms"

Hikari didn't say a word anymore because she knew that the queen already made her decision. She sighed and smiled as best as she could. She felt shivers running down her spine when she saw a shadow passed by them.

"Your highness…" she still stared at the wall where the shadow just passed by "Did you see that?" Mimi turned to where she was staring at and cocked her eyebrow.

"What?" she asked confused "Did you see something?" she looked at the girl worriedly.

"N-Nevermind" Hikari shook her head _'What was that just now? I'm just imagining things' _she thought to herself and then noticed the queen's worried gaze at her. She smiled reassuringly at her but Mimi was still not convinced "It's really nothing"

"Well, alright" Mimi sighed "Why don't you go to sleep now?" Hikari nodded. Mimi gestured for Hikari to walk beside her to the direction of Hikari's room.

Little did they know that Takeru was listening to their conversation. He was on his way to his room after taking a stroll around the castle. He heard voices and quickly hid himself. He heard the whole conversation. He somehow felt sorry for the princess but still she was the enemy. He was now leaning against the wall pondering on what he should do next. _'Mother, what would you do if you were in my place?' _he sighed and started to walk towards his room.

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry if I have wrong grammar or spelling mistakes. **

**I will update this soon or whenever I can.**

**Hope you like it and please review if you want.**

******Thank you for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon or any of its characters. Anything similar to the events, people etc. to this is entirely coincidental.**

* * *

The next day, they prepared for departure. The transportation from the kingdom to the surface was through a water bubble. They entered it and were carried all the way to the surface then the bubble popped.

"First, we better look for Gennai" Takeru looked at his two companions.

"He could be anywhere right now" Hikari massaged her temples out of frustration.

"Then we'd better start looking" Takeru then started to walk towards the forest. Hikari just sighed and look at the queen.

"I am so excited" Mimi squealed and Hikari sweatdropped at this.

After a few hours, Mimi complained of how hot the weather is and how her foot hurt from all the walking.

"This is tiring" she said trying to catch her breath.

"Let's rest for a while" Takeru took a seat nearby a tree and Hikari sat next to him.

"It's going to take us forever to find him" Hikari said exhausted from all the walking.

"Forever is a very long time and I don't want to be with you for that long" Takeru teased.

"Jerk! You're the one who started this mess" Hikari recalled the night they were thrown off in the ocean.

"No" Takeru disagreed "If you didn't make me angry then it wouldn't have happened" he poked the girl's cheeks.

"Now you're saying it's my fault?" Hikari quarreled for a long time with Takeru until Mimi interrupted them.

"It's not the time to have a lover's quarrel" she grinned "but either way I think both of you are at fault" she commented on their situation "And if you hadn't done that, you would have not met me and I would not have to experience the hot weather and an aching foot" she pointed to the blisters she got from all that walking.

"That is one good thing that happened" Hikari crossed her arms over her chest "And for the last time we are not **LOVERS**!" she emphasized the last word.

"Alright, geez~ no need to get angry" Mimi stepped back "Now where are we going to find this Gennai person?" as if right on cue, she saw a strange flying creature flying towards them and was about to land "Everyone duck!" she shouted.

Takeru shielded Hikari from the impact of the gust of wind by the flying creature. When the creature landed, the wind calmed down and Takeru caught a glimpse of the creature.

"Gennai!" he called out to the creature. The creature turned into his human form and greeted the prince.

"Thank goodness your safe your highness" he said "And who is this fine young lady" he gave flying kisses to Mimi. She felt shivers ran down her spine and glanced at Hikari who gave him a disgusted look.

'_Who is this old man?_' she tilted her head in confusion '_was he really the creature moments ago?'_ she continued to ponder on the situation. She now turned her attention to Hikari who still had that disgusted look painted on her face "This is Gennai?" she pointed her thumb to the old man.

"Yup that's him" Hikari placed her hands on her hips before continuing "A perverted companion of Takeru" she added nonchalantly. She was used to him now and just as she looked at Gennai, he gave her flying kisses as well and she felt the hairs in her neck stand. '_So much for getting used to him_'

"This is Mimi Tachikawa" Takeru introduced her to Gennai "And she is the queen of the Kingdom of Water"

"The Kingdom of Water?" Gennai was wide eyed after hearing the said kingdom's name "It still exist?"

"Obviously" Mimi crossed her arms over her chest "I am here right?" she said sarcastically.

"So the kingdom survived after all these years" Gennai thought for a moment and then smiled at Mimi "Good to have you on the team along with the cute princess Hikari" he winked at Hikari and she rolled her eyes at him.

"Yeah" Mimi looked at Hikari "What team?" Hikari just shrugged her shoulders.

After introductions and lunch it was finally time for them to set off. This time they asked Gennai to just fly and not listen to their conversation to avoid drowning or something. Then they left and headed for the Kingdom of Earth. That night, Hikari stayed wide awake. She was staring at the moon and was deep in thought. Mimi who was sleeping next to her woke up and sat up.

"Can't sleep again?" Mimi asked worried for Hikari.

"I guess so" Hikari also sat up and looked at her.

"What's the matter now?"

"My mother gave me her necklace and Takeru took it" Hikari frowned "He will never give it back"

"Sure he will" Mimi patted the girl's back "You're worried about that?" Hikari stayed silent and stared at the moon again "Hikari?"

"Yes?" Hikari returned her attention to Mimi.

"Aren't you enemies?" Mimi asked but the answer was obvious since they already told her about the war. Hikari just nodded "Then why do you stick with him then?"

"Until I get my mother's necklace back" Hikari looked at Takeru "And after I convince him that war is not the answer" Mimi saw determination in her eyes.

"I think you will know the answer soon enough" Mimi smiled and laid back down to sleep again "Good night" she said and drifted to dreamland.

"Good night" Hikari replied but she knows that Mimi was already sleeping "And to you too Takeru"

"Good night Hikari" Takeru answered her and she was startled _'__Could he have heard the conversation earlier?'_

"Did you hear-" before she could finish her sentence Takeru raised his hand.

"Convince me then" Takeru turned to his side to face Hikari.

"What?" she was stunned.

"Try to convince me that there is some other way" he smiled then turned to his other side and doze off. Hikari smiled as well. She lies back down again and soon fell asleep.

"I_t's time to take her" a menacing voice uttered._

"_Not yet" another retorted "We need more time"_

"_We need the girl as soon as possible" another voice remarked._

"_We will soon enough… just be patient all of you" and then they disappeared._

Hikari woke up abruptly. She was sweating and breathing heavily. _'What was that?' _she felt shivers run down her spine. She looked at Mimi who was sleeping soundly and then to Takeru who was also sleeping peacefully. She then looked at Gennai. She hesitated for a moment but nonetheless walked closer to his head.

"Gennai…" she caught his attention as she sat down.

"Hmm?" Gennai turned to look at the princess "What is it your highness?"

"Did you feel anything awhile ago?" she felt scared now.

"What's the matter?" Gennai now sounded worried.

"I just had a bad dream and it…it seemed…so…real" she closed her eyes.

"A bad dream?" Gennai became more curious all of a sudden "What was it about?"

"Have you ever had a bad dream about dark creatures wanting to get you?" she queried.

"I have not" he replied "I think you should tell the prince about this" he suggested.

"Why should I?" she retorted. Although something in her heart is saying she should. In her mind she doesn't want to but in her heart she wants someone to protect her, to assure her everything would be alright. _'Oh no…Am I falling…for…Takeru?" _she thought as she shook her head in disbelief _'This can't be I can't-'_

"Because your heart tells you to" Gennai interrupted her thoughts.

"What?" Hikari was flabbergasted.

"Follow what your heart tells you your highness" he winked at her but it didn't bother her this time. She was pondering about what Gennai said. She bid good night to him and returned to her place next to Mimi. She keeps thinking about what Gennai said until she fell asleep again.

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**A/N: I'm sorry if I have wrong grammar or spelling mistakes.**

**I will update this soon or whenever I can.**

**Hope you like it and please review if you want.**

******Thank you for reading!**


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